Dream deferred

James Garcia's new play takes a look at the too-real human devastation caused by legislation like Proposition 300

Playwright James Garcia sees the drama generated by Arizona’s current politics, then writes and stages it.

His one-act theater, Dream Act, captures the too-real human devastation caused by legislation like Proposition 300, a ballot initiative voters approved in 2006 that makes it illegal for undocumented students to pay in-state tuition or receive scholarships from Arizona’s publicly-funded colleges.

Dream Act was produced by Colores Actors-Writers Workshop, a Valley theater troupe founded by Garcia. Inaugural performances in English and Spanish ran in April. Garcia plans to show the play at schools and for organizations that request performances. 

The work tells the story of graduate student Victoria Nava, who came to the U.S. with her parents as a small child. She is undocumented, but dreams of practicing medicine in the United States (the only country she’s ever known). The young Latina sees her dream swept away in the fury of anti-immigrant sentiment.

“As a teacher (at ASU West), I see the tragic impact this law has on these kids,” Garcia says. “It’s such a waste of Latino students with talent, intelligence and focus. There are a group of people out there that keep putting up barriers for our students. I know it is largely motivated by fear and outright bigotry.”
The play’s premiere on April 2 doubled as a $100 per person fund-raiser for the American Dream Fund, private scholarships created by Chicanos Por La Causa and the Victoria Foundation. The money raised goes to fund the educations of the kinds of students depicted in the theater piece. To contribute to the Fund, contact CPLC at (602) 257-0700.